With This Ring
by Mikashimotaku
Summary: At 21-years-old, Kashino has been dating Ichigo for the longest time. High school sweethearts, still together after 6 years. There's only one thing left to do. Get a ring on Ichigo's bare left hand. But when Ichigo comes across a misunderstanding and their relationship is in danger, Kashino will have problems to fix. With one fated question and one beautiful ring. R&R!


**Me: Hello everyone! This is just a little one-shot (well, it's not very little, it's 5k words) about how our cute Kashigo couple got engaged! Think of it as a prequel to 'Like A Real Family Does' and 'Sweet Baby Blues'.**

**Anyway. I'm planning writing another one when I get the chance. It'll be Kashigo's marrige, which I'm sure will be fun to write. So please enjoy this on-shot!**

**I do not own Yumeiro Patissiere.**

* * *

With This Ring

Kashino watched Ichigo as she sauntered around their shop. She was dressed in the attire they had chosen for the shop, a sky blue dress laced with white hemming and a white apron. Ichigo went from table to table, serving customers, while Kashino sat in front of the cash register.

They were already 21 and continued to work in their shop at Marie's Garden in Japan. Henri-sensei had not been specific when he told them of his plans for a Marie's Garden in London. The shop was still currently being built. Kashino and Ichigo were set to go there in a year. By then, they would both be 22 years old.

It was amazing to Kashino, to think that he and Ichigo had been together since they were 16. The 6 years had been tough on them. They had their arguments, but in the end, they were happy with each other.

One thing that bothered Kashino was Ichigo's bare left hand. He loved her, yet he didn't understand why she wasn't wearing a ring yet. There was something holding him back from asking. He was almost scared that she would actually say no. Pushing the thoughts of marriage and engagement out of his mind, Kashino stood to help a customer.

XxXxX

Ichigo was aware of Kashino watching her. He had done it a lot more recently. Whenever he did, he had the same expression. It was an expression as if he was undecided about something. It scared her a little. That face made her wonder if Kashino was going to break up with her. She sighed, picking up dishes from an empty table and pocketing the tip. Kashino told her he loved her every single day. He would text it in the morning when she woke up, when she walked into the shop, when she left and a text at night before she slept. So she wondered, why hadn't Kashino proposed to her?

She had learned from her parents when she was small, people married each other because they loved the other. So, with Kashino saying how much he loved her, why hadn't he asked her? Did he really not want to spend the rest of his life with her?

The thought itself made Ichigo queasy. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Kashino. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else. But at the same time, she wondered if she could wait for him forever. Was there someone else who was waiting down the end of the road for her? Was she really with the right person?

Doubt settled itself in her mind and plagued her thoughts for the rest of the day. _He wouldn't tell me he loved me so much if he didn't actually love me, _Ichigo reasoned with herself, _there's got to be a reason I don't have a ring on my finger yet._

XxXxX

At the end of the day, after packing away all their ingredients and saying goodbye to their fellow co-workers, Kashino and Ichigo left the shop for the day. It was a sunny winter day, Ichigo wore her brown coat with a belt wrapped around the waist. Her white knitted hat and matching infinity scarf completed the look, not to mention the fuzzy white boots. She held on to Kashino's arm as they walked to the bus station together.

"Neh," Kashino said quietly, as they neared the bus stop.

"Yes Kashino?" She asked, looking up to her boyfriend. He had a subtle pink blush on his cheeks, although Ichigo confused it as him being cold. "Are you cold?"

The blond was wearing his simple blue jacket. After all the years, his style hasn't really changed. "No," He answered. They walked in silence for a bit before Kashino asked, "Are you excited to go to London?"

"Of course I am," a small smile graced her lips, "Especially if I'm with you."

His cheeks turned a nice shade of rosy red, "B-because," He muttered shyly, "I was thinking..."

Ichigo's eyes sparkled in delight. Would this be the time? Was Kashino finally going to ask her? "Yes?" She asked, her tone airy and light.

He cleared his throat, "Um. Never mind."

Ichigo sighed to herself. They finally made it to the bus stop and Ichigo sat on the bench. "Are you excited?" She wondered, gesturing for him to sit beside her.

He complied and she rested her head against his shoulder. Loving how well she seemed to fit there and how warm he made her feel. "Yeah," He said finally. Though, he sounded preoccupied.

"Are you okay?" She asked the chocolatier. He was always so distracted now-a-days, a sickening thought that he was thinking of leaving her crept into her mind. She pushed it away forcefully. Kashino would never leave her. He promised to stay with her forever.

"Yeah," He said again, "Just... Thinking about a lot of stuff."

"Oh," She replied. The bus stopped in front of them and they stood to get on. "What are you thinking about?"

Kashino, in turn, blushed. "Oh nothing," He mumbled, going up the bus steps and paying his fee, "Nothing you should worry about."

Ichigo followed him on and sat beside him. "Okay," She whispered. Her stomach was in knots. Maybe Kashino really was thinking about leaving her... _No way, _Ichigo said to herself, _he said it was nothing I need to worry about. I need to trust him._

XxXxX

When he got home, Kashino went straight to his room. He lived in a small apartment only a few blocks away from St. Marie. As odds were to have it, Ichigo lived only 2 floors down. He lay down on his bed, his thoughts wandering freely.

He thought of Ichigo. How much he loved her and how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He imagined her in a dazzling white wedding dress, walking down the aisle with him waiting for her at the end. It would be a huge step in both of their lives. They would finally be taking on the world, completely together.

The thought of this made him feel all happy and light inside. Though, he still felt the lingering feeling of insecurity when it came to asking her to marry him.

What if she said no? What if she wasn't ready for something like that? Kashino had heard of guys being rejected by their girlfriends, saying they weren't ready for marriage, but what happened after that? Did they continue to date until they were ready? Did they break up? The poor blond felt like he was 14 again, unsure of his true feelings for his bubbly brunette friend.

Maybe if he asked her subtly if she was considering taking their relationship further. Ichigo was after all, still Ichigo. She was very dense when it came to the subject of relationships. He didn't think she would pick up the fact that he was asking her if she would say yes to being his bride.

He took out his phone and dialed her number. It rung for a moment, before she answered.

"Hello?"

"Yo," Kashino replied. He sounded calm, but his hand was trembling as he pressed the phone against his ear.

"Kashino!" Ichigo said sweetly. Her tone of voice made Kashino think of her sitting on her couch, watching her favourite evening TV. She was most likely smiling from the sound of his voice.

He suddenly thought of her calling him by his last name. It was a habit of hers that she couldn't break, even though he had begun calling her Ichigo long ago when they were still in high school. There was silence on the line and Kashino realized that Ichigo was waiting for him to answer.

"Hey," He said. He sighed at how boring he must have sounded.

"Hi," Ichigo said; a light tone of confusion in her voice.

"... What's up?" Kashino asked awkwardly. How was he supposed to bring up the subject of marriage subtly anyway? That thought had never crossed his mind. Kashino felt like face-palming, he was never good at thinking on his feet.

"Not much," Ichigo replied casually. "I'm just watching my favourite show, 'Say Yes to the Dress'."

Kashino thought for a moment. Which one was that? Ichigo had many favourite shows and they were constantly changing. It took a second before the memory of the show returned. He grinned, things seemed to be working in his favour today.

"You mean the one about wedding dresses?" He asked, trying to make his voice sound casual and curious.

"Yeah," Ichigo sighed dreamily, "I can only hope of buying my own wedding dress."

He gulped. Now was the time. He just had to be very careful with his words. "Why's that?" He asked, attempting to make light conversation, though he was really straining to find any hidden meanings in her words.

"Well, I'm not getting married any time soon," Ichigo giggled.

Kashino chewed on his lip nervously, trying to determine what her words meant. Did she mean that she wasn't getting married any time soon because he hadn't asked? Or did she not want to get married in the near future?

"That's true," He answered weakly.

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked, "You don't usually call."

The blond shook his head, before realizing that she couldn't see him. "N-no," He stammered, suddenly embarrassed as to why he thought Ichigo would just admit whether she wanted to marry him or not, "just missed your voice."

"Aw!" Ichigo cooed, "You're so sweet, I missed your voice too."

"Yeah..." Kashino trailed off awkwardly.

He heard a faint beep from the other side of the line. Ichigo sighed, "My phone is almost out of battery. I'll talk to you later, okay honey?"

Honey. A nickname Ichigo used rarely for him. Maybe that was a good sign. It was unusual for her to use it if she didn't have a good reason to.

"Okay," Kashino answered. "Good bye."

XxXxX

Ichigo ended the call and turned her attention back to the TV. Although, her mind kept wandering. Why did Kashino find it weird that she wasn't buying a wedding dress anytime soon? She gasped to herself, was it because he wanted her to?

_No, _Ichigo thought to herself, _I can't afford to think like that. If I do, I'll end up being let down if he doesn't want to at all._

She sighed deeply; the show had gone onto commercial, so she decided to fix herself a cup of tea. Opening the wooden cabinet in which she kept all her tea mugs, Ichigo looked for one that always made her feel better. It was a white mug Kashino had bought her once when they went to a festival. The cup was inscribed with the word 'Forever' and had a picture of them two on it. Ichigo had on her happy optimistic face; meanwhile Kashino had been forced to smile by her, so a small smile graced his lips.

Ichigo wondered what forever must mean to Kashino.

XxXxX

"Damn it," Kashino hissed to himself. He flopped down on his bed, frustrated. "Why am I so stupid? Why can't I just ask her the dumb question?"

He was contemplating why guys were always the ones propose and why it couldn't be the other way around, when his phone began ringing. Flinching at the sudden vibration in his pocket, he quickly took it out to answer. It wasn't Ichigo, it was Andou, not that he expected her to call for whatever reason.

"Did you ask her?" That was the first thing Andou asked, when Kashino answered the phone.

Kashino sighed and grumbled, "What do you think? I'm still even thinking about whether or not I should ask her."

His best friend is silent for a moment. "Why? If you're thinking about it, that obviously means you want to ask her, so why not go for it?"

Kashino rolled his eyes. "It's not that easy," He groaned, "What if she says no? Plus, I don't even have a ring to propose with."

"Wait, so if you had a ring, you would propose?" Andou asked, to clarify Kashino's meaning.

"Maybe," The blond answered, "But where am I supposed to get a ring I can afford? I'm not rich."

Andou laughed from his side of the line, "It's Amano-san, she won't care if the ring is expensive. She'll love it no matter what because it's from you."

Kashino sighed deeply. "Well, what do I know about buying rings? I'm totally lost when it comes to girl things like that. And I am definitely not asking any of Ichigo's friends for help."

"You complain so much," Andou said, with exasperation in his voice. "How about this, if I go ring shopping with you, which may I say is totally awkward, will you propose to Amano-san?"

Kashino didn't think there was anything he could lose with the offer. After all, at least he wouldn't be totally alone when buying a ring. That would have been torture on Hell Street. "Okay, fine." He agreed begrudgingly.

XxXxX

"So what do you have to keep in mind when buying a ring?" Kashino asked his best friend. The two were walking through a busy mall, deciding where to start.

Andou shrugged, "How am I supposed to know? I'm just as lost as you. I'm only here for moral support."

"Some help you are," Kashino grumbled moodily. He already hated crowded places, so being in the mall did not make anything better.

The two made their way through the crowd. Finally seeing a jewellery store that had only about a handful of people inside.

"Let's look in there," Andou suggested, pointing toward it. When the two walked in, they realized how underdressed they were. Wearing street clothes, like jeans and t-shirts. All the employees that worked in the store were wearing clothes that could be worn to fancy dinners. Sleek black dresses, ties and suits, you name it.

"Can I..." An employee began; she was wearing a black dress that went to her knees and matching high heels. A string of pearls were hung from her neck, with the matching bracelet on her wrist. She stopped abruptly when she saw the two. Kashino was wearing ripped jeans and a faded shirt Ichigo had bought him a long time ago. Andou wasn't dressed any fancier either. "Erm, do you... Gentlemen need any help?" She asked, though she didn't look to eager to help them.

"I could actually," Kashino replied, crossing his arms. His eyebrows were twitching as he was increasingly annoyed by her attitude. How cared if he wasn't wearing dinner clothes, he didn't, that's for sure.

The employee lady pressed her lips together tightly, "Okay then, my name is Michiko and I'll be helping you today, what are you here for?"

Putting his elbows on the glass display case that was also used as a counter, Kashino told her, "I need to buy a ring."

Michiko looked disturbed, staring at Kashino's elbows. He could see how badly she wanted him to take her elbows off the precious countertop. "Oh. What's the occasion, uh, sir?" She asked quietly, still staring intently at his elbows.

"I'm going to propose to my girlfriend," He answered slowly. Michiko looked slightly surprised, as if she thought the two were incapable of even getting a girlfriend. This enraged Kashino even more. So what if he didn't have the money to buy fancy clothing like she did, that didn't mean she should treat him like dirt.

"I see," Michiko tapped her fingers on the glass, "Okay, rings are right here." She pointed to the collection of rings in the case, "Do you see anything your girlfriend might like? What's her personality like?"

Kashino didn't know how to describe Ichigo. He just knew what she was like. "Well..." He tried, "She's really just indescribable. She's... She's everything I could ever want. She's beautiful, optimistic, happy, caring, compassionate and sweet. And even with all the mistakes I make... She loves me anyway."

Michiko was silent. As was Andou. He actually wasn't aware his blond friend could speak so deeply about Ichigo. It was that moment he realized just how much Kashino loved her.

Meanwhile, Michiko seemed to have changed her views on Kashino. Any guy who described his girlfriend with such passion and love was worth her attention. "You're one lucky guy," She whispered quietly, "Don't ever let her get away from you."

Kashino was somewhat taken aback by her reaction, "I won't."

Michiko nodded and opened the glass from her side of the counter. She pulled three ring boxes and set them on the table. Opening each one, Kashino and Andou stared at them intently.

The first was a silver band with a single cut diamond, "This is the cheapest one I have," Michiko told them, "But if money is no object..."

"Money is no problem," Kashino interjected, "As long as Ichigo likes it, I don't care how much it cost."

Michiko nodded again and closed the box. Opening the second one, it was again a silver band with a cut diamond, but this one had a tiny green emerald in the middle, shining among the diamond. It was very sparkly and pretty, but to Kashino, he didn't think it was very... 'Ichigo'.

"Can I see the last one?" He asked quietly, "This one doesn't seem very much like her."

As Michiko opened the next ring box, Andou watched his friend intently. His heart really was into this. He wanted only the best for Ichigo. He wouldn't take anything less.

The last ring was a bright gold band with a sparkly cut diamond. On either side was a small pink jewel. The colour reminded Kashino of pink strawberries.

"_The light pink ones are the ones who just for someone." _

Ichigo's voice. The silly thing she had told him about strawberries long ago, back when they were 14.

"_Hey Kashino? Remember the stuff I told you about strawberries? This feeling I'm feeling right now. I'm the pink strawberry. I fell for you. And I love you."_

That's what she had told him. That one date where they had finally shared their first kiss. Kashino breathed softly, in awe, "This one. Definitely this one."

Michiko nodded and smiled at him, "So... What ring size is Ichigo?"

Both boys' faces suddenly went blank, "... Ring size?"

Laughing a little, Michiko explained, "The sizes are by number, the bigger the number the bigger the ring." She showed Kashino her hand, "My hands are small, I'm a size 6."

Kashino cocked his head to one side and stared at her fingers, "I think Ichigo has the same sized hands as you."

"For sure?" Michiko asked. She didn't want the ring to not fit. That would be depressing and it would totally kill the romance in the proposal.

"Can I try something?" Kashino asked hesitantly, "If... If I hold your hand, I'll know if you're the same size as Ichigo. I'll just know by the feel of it."

Michiko thought that had to be one of the sweetest things anyone had ever said. "Of course," She said, with a warm smile on her face.

Kashino took hold of her hand and gently began rubbing her knuckles. It was something he always did when he held hand with Ichigo. It felt just right and could be Ichigo is he didn't already know who it was. Ichigo was definitely size 6. He couldn't wait to see her reaction when he asked her to marry him. Just the thought of that made him smile.

XxXxX

_W-what's he doing? _Ichigo thought to herself, a look of utter shock on her face. She had gone out shopping for a new outfit and had stopped when she saw Kashino and Andou at the jewellery store. Why they were in a jewellery store, she had no idea. So she had stopped to see when she saw Kashino take the employee girl's hand and start... Smiling.

A wave of sickening realization came over her. Kashino was cheating on her. The thought made her legs feel wobbly. No way. He would never. He wouldn't. He just...

She felt tears blurring her eyes. All the years they spent together, did that mean nothing to him?

Rubbing tears from her eyes, that were already falling freely down her cheeks, she ran. She didn't want to be there. It hurt too much.

XxXxX

Kashino and Andou walked out of the store. Kashino had a big smile on his face. He definitely couldn't wait to ask Ichigo the fated question.

Andou had never seen his friend so happy. "So when are you going to ask her?" He asked curiously.

"I'm not sure," Kashino replied. He held the ring box in his hand and continued, "But now that I have this ring in my hand. For sure, I'm going to ask her soon."

Andou smiled and ruffled his still shorter friend's hair, "Well hurry up and do it soon. And I was listening to what you were saying in the store. Make sure you make it romantic, it's obvious you love her with your whole heart."

Kashino nodded, "Of course."

XxXxX

Ichigo went home and ran into her room. Slamming the door closed, she leaned against it and began sobbing. Sinking to the ground, she buried her face in her hands.

_How could he? What did I do wrong? _She thought miserably to herself, _Is that what he's been thinking about? Which girl he should take?_

Ichigo couldn't understand what she had done wrong. She thought everything was fine. But maybe, the thing that had been plaguing Kashino's mind was whether or not she or that girl from the store was the one he loved.

The young woman was crying bitterly to herself. She flipped onto her bed and buried her face into her feathered pillow. Her cell phone was ringing and she groaned when she saw the name.

_Call From Kashino Makoto._

Miserably, she wasn't sure whether she should answer or not. She stared at the phone as it rang and rang until finally it stopped. Ichigo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want to talk to him. If she did, maybe he would finally break up with her.

Her phone beeped with an incoming text. From none other than Kashino Makoto.

_Ichigo...? Are you okay?_

Ichigo was frustrated. How could he act so casual? He was seeing another girl behind her back! And what was worse, Andou knew too. He didn't even tell her. Was Kashino manipulating his friends into silence?

_Yeah. _She texted back after a few minutes, _why should you care?_

_Because I love you? _Kashino replied back.

Ichigo was hurt by how easily he seemed to be lying. She wanted to say "No you don't." But she didn't have the heart or stability to call him out for cheating on her.

_Can I call you? _Kashino texted after awhile.

_... Okay. _Ichigo agreed finally.

Her phone began ringing and she picked it up. "Hello sweetheart," Kashino whispered gently, "What's up?"

Ichigo wondered what kind of nickname he gave the witch from the jewellery store. "Not much," She answered softly. Trying to make her voice sound as if she hadn't been crying for the last hour.

"Listen, I've got something really important to talk to you about," Kashino continued, "So I was thinking... Are you busy tonight? We could go out for dinner or something."

Ichigo was flabbergasted. He wanted to take her out on a date just to break her with the news that he was breaking up with her? How DARE he. Something really important... He might as well have said I'm going to tell you something that will break your heart. She was going to give him a piece of her mind when she got there.

"Okay," She said slowly, not wanting to snap, "Pick me up at 7?"

"Of course sweetheart," Kashino replied sweetly.

XxXxX

Kashino was ecstatic. He had already made dinner reservations at the fanciest, most beautiful restaurant in town. He even reserved a table on the balcony of the restaurant overlooking the fresh, flower-filled garden. Kashino knew Ichigo would love it.

After getting ready, he quickly slipped the ring box into his pocket. Now that his heart was into it, he couldn't wait to ask Ichigo to marry him. It was like he could picture their lives together. Getting married, living together, starting a family. He shook with anticipation. The future looked so promising.

When he went to pick up Ichigo from her own apartment, she opened the door wearing a pretty dress. It had a white ruffled skirt with black poka-dots. The top was a sweetheart neckline and a simple bold black. She held a clutch purse and Kashino had to admit, she looked amazing. But he was confused, she didn't look too happy. Plus, her eyes looked slightly puffy and pink.

"Hi sweetheart," Kashino cooed gently, taking hold of her hand. Ichigo seemed to flinch, but he ignored it, "I've got an amazing night planned for the both of us."

She nodded softly and let go of his hand to open her purse. Even after closing it however, she didn't take his hand.

Kashino frowned, but ignored it. He opened the car door for her and they drove in silence. Kashino found it concerning, because usually, Ichigo just wouldn't stop talking.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked.

She nodded stiffly, "Totally."

XxXxX

When they pulled up at the restaurant, Ichigo was angry. It was a fancy restaurant. Actually, it was the restaurant of her dreams. She had wanted to go there more times than she could count. Did Kashino have some sick, cruel mind? Take her to her dream restaurant only to break her? He had some nerve.

The two walked into the restaurant and when Kashino told the waiter that he had a reservation under Kashino, they were lead into the private area balcony. The sweet smell of flowers was all over. It was so enticing and beautiful and yet, Ichigo couldn't enjoy any of it.

"Have a seat," Kashino said softly, pulling out her chair.

Ichigo sat without a word. Kashino was becoming more and more concerned. She was definitely not acting as herself.

When they had finished their dinner, they had to have been there for an hour or so. Ichigo wondered why Kashino hadn't just broken up with her yet. After all, why treat her through a whole expensive date, just to break up with her?

"Ichigo, would you like to take a walk?" Kashino asked, pointing to the steps that lead from the balcony down to the garden.

Ichigo wanted to say no. She knew this would be it. Kashino was going to end everything. But, she couldn't say it. "O-okay," She whispered.

He took hold of her hand and led her down the stairs. They walked in silence, among the flowers. The sun was nearly finished setting. The sky cast a beautiful tangerine orange and highlighted with warm tones of pink. "So..." Kashino said softly to her, "I've been thinking about something for the longest time."

"Which would be what?" Ichigo asked.

"Well..." Kashino trailed off. It seemed a bit sudden just to ask. So he thought he might compliment her first. "Ichigo, you're a beautiful girl. You're cheerfulness and optimism can make anyone smile. I've just been thinking about something..."

They had walked until they were under the gazebo in the middle of the garden. Ichigo leaned against it and finally snapped, "Stop stretching it out. Just get it over with." She whispered, her voice full of hurt and despair.

Kashino was confused. "What... What do you mean?"

"I saw you at the jewellery store," Ichigo said, her voice soft.

Kashino paled. She had seen? Did that mean she already known he was going to ask?

"I saw you holding hands with some other girl," She continued, "Smiling." Tears pooled into her eyes, "Why couldn't you have just told me you wanted to break up? Did you HAVE to cheat on me?" She asked, her emotions finally were getting the best of her. "Did you not want to hurt me? Because let me tell you. Finding that out, made it hurt even MORE."

Kashino was sickeningly pale. Ichigo thought because he discovered she knew the truth. In reality, Kashino was horrified. Ichigo thought he was cheating on her? It was a complete misunderstanding. "Ichigo, that wasn't what it looked like."

"Then tell me," She whispered harshly, closing her eyes. She was trying to stop tears from flowing down her cheeks, "What was it then?"

"Ichigo look at me," Kashino said gently, taking her left hand into his own, "Come on."

She opened her eyes to stare at him. "You've got it all wrong," He told her, using his free hand to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. "I wasn't there for that girl. I was there for you. I was holding her hand because I was testing to see if her hands were like yours. Because I needed this moment to be perfect."

Ichigo's eyes widened. What did he mean?

Kashino got down on his one knee and that's when everything finally made sense to Ichigo. He was in a jewellery store, talking to an employee, because... Because he was buying something for her.

Kashino reached into his pocket and held out a blue velvet ring box. Opening it, to reveal a beautiful golden ring, Ichigo felt the world move in slow motion. Her legs were wobbly and she took a deep breath of air.

"Amano Ichigo," Kashino whispered, he began smiling softly, his caramel eyes dancing with delight, "Will you marry me?"

Ichigo opened her mouth to say something. But she couldn't get any words out. She started nodding as if her life depended on it. Finally she exclaimed, "Yes! YES!"

Kashino stood up and embraced her into a deep hug. She fit so perfectly in his arms and he knew she was the one he would love forever. He looked deep into her eyes, "I love you so much Ichigo."

"I love you too Makoto," She murmured, "I'm... I'm so sorry for doubting you."

"It's okay," He sighed.

Ichigo felt awful for everything now. But if Kashino said it was okay, then it had to be.

"Can I... Put the ring on your finger?" He asked gently.

Ichigo nodded slowly, before extending her left hand to him. He carefully took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. It shone beautifully, even more than it had at the store. It was most likely because it was on Ichigo. She made anything more beautiful.

The ring was a perfect fit. Just like Kashino knew it would. "I love you so much Ichigo. So very much. Don't ever think I would love anyone more than you ever again."

"I won't. I promise." Ichigo hugged him again, putting her head on his shoulder.

She looked up at him and gently brushed her lips against his own, "I love you."

"I love you so much," He answered sweetly into her ear. Ichigo looked at the ring, sparkling and beautiful. "Look on the inside." Kashino told her.

Ichigo was surprised, but took the ring off to look on the inside. There was something engraved inside in cursive.

_For My Sweet Strawberry. ILY. –K.M_

"Oh Makoto," Ichigo breathed.

Kashino nodded, "That's to remind you every single day that I love you. Every single day until that day when I put a wedding ring on your finger."

Ichigo smiled. It was happening. She was going to marry Kashino. Another chapter of her life was starting and she positively could not wait.

_**The End.**_

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it!**

**Please leave me a review to tell me what you think. I'd be happy to hear from everyone!**

**Thanks for reading and supporting. I love all of you to the moon and back.**

**Cya soon!**

**Love,**

**Mikashi-chan :)**


End file.
